Pan Seared Salmon with Buttery Hoisin Glaze

How seriously gorgeous is that piece of fish? Salmon is beautiful on its own, but when you shellac it with this sweet, salty and buttery glaze, it sparkles. When I served this for dinner, Kyle said, "Hey mom, you have any more of that glaze?". Music to my ears. Especially because it's a 2-ingredient glaze!

No kidding: check out this ingredient list! It's insanely short for the amount of flavor it delivers. The 2-ingredient glaze is hoisin sauce and butter. Hoisin sauce is a Chinese glaze used on meats, in stir-fries and as a dipping sauce. Although ingredients vary by region, hoisin sauce usually includes soy beans, fennel seeds, red chillies, and garlic. Most varieties also contain vinegar, Chinese five spice and sugar. Now imagine all those flavors blended with smooth, melted butter. The best part is, the butter helps flavors linger on your tongue - something you definitely want to happen. 
Note: Hoisin sauce is sold with the other Asian ingredients in the grocery store.

Pan Seared Salmon with Buttery Hoisin Glaze

1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 salmon fillets, about 6 to 8 ounces each
Salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil for brushing the pan
Chopped green onions for serving

In a small saucepan, combine the hoisin sauce and butter. Set the pan over low heat and cook until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth and syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat. Place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish and season the top with salt and pepper. Brush half of the hoisin mixture all over the top and sides of the salmon. Reserve the remaining hoisin mixture. 
Let marinate for 10 minutes.
Brush a stove-top grill pan, griddle or large skillet with a generous amount of olive oil and preheat to medium heat. Place the salmon fillets, flesh-side down, on the hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes. Gently flip the salmon and brush the remaining hoisin mixture over top. 
Cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the fish is fork-tender. Transfer the salmon to a serving plate and top with the green onions.
Serves 4